The Pacific College of Health and Science, in partnership with various local organizations, is proud to serve our community by providing acupuncture and massage services at no cost in a variety of settings throughout San Diego.
Pacific College Believes in Giving Back!
Off-site clinics are designed to expand the reach of acupuncture and Chinese medicine to settings where patients would typically not have the means or the opportunity to experience them. Pacific College interns who are in the final phase of a rigorous four-year program work under the supervision of highly experienced licensed practitioners. These clinics are often held in an integrative environment that fosters collaboration with biomedical practitioners.
From children’s hospitals and veteran clinics to college athletics, Pacific College dedicates countless resources to deliver hundreds of free services to the communities it serves at all three campuses.
For more information about these off-site clinics, please call our main campus clinic at (619) 574-6932.
For media inquiries, please click here.
The San Diego campus currently has 8 offsite clinics,
many of which have been active for over twenty years!
- Rady Children’s Hospital
- Veterans Clinic
- UCSD RIMAC
- Owen Clinic at UCSD Medical Center
- Senior Clinic at First Lutheran Church
- PB Free Clinic at Pacific Beach United Methodist Church
- Downtown Free Clinic at First Lutheran Church
- Integrative Health Nights: Community Clinics
- San Diego Legion – Major League Rugby
Note to Students:
If you have not worked at an offsite clinic before, you are in for an excellent learning experience–one that may very well change the way you practice and view yourself as a healer. It may also broaden and enhance your views on the application of our medicine.
At the offsite clinics, we collaborate with other medical practitioners. How we conduct ourselves directly effects the perception that they form about our profession.
Work at the offsite clinics is unique and different from the work at the campus clinic. Sometimes we work under cramped conditions, and don’t always have the administrative support that we are used to or would like to have. Some set-up of tables and equipment may be needed, requiring us to work as a team and help each other to work efficiently. Since there may be limited or no access to herbal remedies offsite, it is an opportunity to sharpen your psychomotor skills and become very effective with your needle technique.
Some locations are busy with patients, while others experience a smaller patient load. At all locations, we have a very grateful clientele, eager to learn more about our profession and willing to cooperate with our recommendations.
General Information:
All offsite students and supervisors are required to have a PCHS photo ID. Please contact the front office to have your picture taken.
All offsite students and supervisors are advised to have a current TB test (good for 2 years, chest x-ray is good for 2 years). Some sites will not allow you entry without it.
Orientation is usually done during your first shift. The length will vary depending on the site. Check your designated site for the exact meeting time. Missing orientation may, in some cases, render you ineligible for the shift.
Parking can be difficult, so carpooling is encouraged. Allow plenty of time to park and find your site the first time your shift meets.
Note the start time of your shift, it may differ from that of shifts at the PCHS clinic.
Dress code, while usually the same as PCHS clinic (white lab coat, closed toes shoes, comfortable professional clothing) may differ at some sites.
Evaluation of students and supervisors follows the same schedule as the PCHS clinic.
Massage Interns 2:
Massage Interns 2 need to follow the same rules, protocols, and requirements as the acupuncture interns. Off-site locations that are in need of Massage Interns are denoted below in the descriptions by: **Massage Interns 2 included** written below the offsite name.
Pacific College San Diego Off-Site Clinics:
Rady Children’s Hospital
3010 Children’s Way, Entrance #2, Acute Care Pavilion
San Diego CA, 92123
Days and Times: Monday 1:00pm-5:00pm or Thursday (12:00pm optional) 1:00pm-5:00pm
The hospital is an unpredictable environment, and as such, adaptability, dependability and independence are the paramount traits for these interns. We treat all over the hospital including cramped patient rooms, open bays right next to the nurse administering chemo, the parent-family lounge, and cold exam rooms. Though interns primarily treat chronic pain and hematology/oncology, we also treat GI disorder, spinal cord injuries and medically fragile children in long-term care situations. Gentle needle technique, willingness to do massage and tui na, great people skills, and the confidence to be autonomous are a must.
Veterans Clinic
American Legion Post
7245 Linda Vista Road (near Genesee)
San Diego, CA 92111
Day and Time: Wednesday 5:30-9:30pm
Many current and former military personnel and their families suffer from stress, PTSD, chronic pain, traumatic brain injury and mental emotional conditions as a result of their military service. This clinic provides free acupuncture and massage treatments to all active-duty military, reservists, veterans, retirees and their families. Families are defined as parents, spouses and children of current and prior service members. It is a community style clinic where all treatments will be done with the patient either in a seated position or lying on a mat. This clinic is an ideal environment to develop efficiency in intake and treatment skills.
UCSD RIMAC
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
Days and Times: Monday 1:30pm-5:30pm and Wednesday 9:00am-1:00pm
This clinic serves UCSD athletes. PCHS students are offered the opportunity to treat many types of muscular and skeletal injuries alongside physical therapists and athletic trainers. The pace is fast and the work is very focused on specific problems. Pacific College interns use acupuncture to help rehabilitate post-operative injuries, sports injuries, and athletic performance by increasing range of motion, muscle strength, and tissue healing potential. Students average 3-5 treatments per shift and treatments vary from 15 minutes to one hour. This is an excellent opportunity to learn musculoskeletal assessment and treatment techniques!
Owen Clinic at UCSD Medical Center
4168 Front St, 3rd floor
San Diego, CA 92103
Day and Time: Wednesday 1:00pm-5:00pm
The Owen Clinic is among America’s top HIV care programs because of its comprehensive services, very experienced healthcare staff, and affiliation with the UCSD Medical Center. The Owen Clinic incorporates the various disciplines that an AIDS patient may need within one outpatient clinic, saving the patient the effort and confusion of going to many stations to get his or her needs met. An experienced team of physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners uses 15 rooms for patient exams, and each patient is assigned a primary care practitioner based on his or her particular needs, in addition to a liver clinic and oncology clinic and research. All gender and socioeconomic groups are represented.
UCSD Free Clinics Project
Pacific Beach United Methodist Church
1562 Thomas Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
Day and Time: Wednesday 5:30pm-9:30pm
This busy clinic for the homeless and the underserved is run in collaboration with UCSD medical students and volunteer UCSD faculty physicians. The clinic offers a great opportunity to interact with biomedical professionals and future physicians. In addition to medical students, there are also pharmacy, dental, and social work students and professionals on site. We see a wide variety of medical problems in a population ranging from young adults to old age. The people who make use of our services are very friendly and seem to look out for one another. The atmosphere is safe, upbeat, and relaxed.
Seniors Clinic
First Lutheran Church
1420 3rd Ave, (Corner of 3rd Avenue and Ash Street)
San Diego, CA 92101
Days and Times: Wednesday and Friday 8:30am-12:30pm
At Seniors Clinic, a student will learn how to treat age specific issues such as declining digestive and kidney strength. This is an invaluable clinical skill in conjunction with further developing and deepening our compassion for our patients. You will see a minimum of 3 patients per shift which will help you develop efficient intake and treatment skills for such conditions as pain, insomnia, digestive difficulties or a myriad of emotional issues in conjunction with underlying complex medical problems.
Downtown Free Clinic
First Lutheran Church
1420 3rd Ave, (Corner of 3rd Avenue and Ash Street)
San Diego, CA 92101
Day and Time: Monday 5:30pm-9:30pm
This is a busy clinic for the homeless and the underserved, run in collaboration with UCSD medical students and volunteer UCSD faculty physicians. The clinic offers a great opportunity to interact with biomedical professionals and future physicians. In addition to medical students, there are also pharmacy, dental, and social work students and professionals on site. We see a wide variety of medical problems on a population ranging from young adults to old age. The people who make use of our services are very friendly and seem to look out for one another. The atmosphere is safe, upbeat, and relaxed.
Integrative Health Nights: Community Clinics
Tubman-Chavez Multicultural Center
415 Euclid Ave (at Market St)
San Diego, CA 92114
Day & Time: Thursday, 3:00-7:00pm
This shift is offered in association with Alternative Healing Network, a nonprofit started by a PCOM alumnus. It is an opportunity to witness “community style” acupuncture helping underserved families in a fast-paced, integrative setting. Work alongside medical assistants, massage therapists, chiropractors, energy healers, and yoga instructors. Gain practical information about the growing trend of delivering acupuncture to the uninsured and less affluent population.
San Diego Legion – Major League Rugby
Snapdragon Stadium
2101 Stadium Way
San Diego, CA 92108
Gain sports massage experience while working alongside physical therapists and athletic trainers.